LETTERS: Impossible to fire

Published: Friday, November 15, 2013 at 12:54 PM.

Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles reported that he recently caught an Emerald Coast Convention Center “vehicle and staff in the furtherance of an outside catering event.” It was luck and observation, not good management, that caught another inappropriate use of taxpayer resources.

To find the root cause of problems like these, Mr. Boyles and his fellow commissioners need look no further than the mirror.

At the Obamacare hearing, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, “The only thing I can conclude is it’s impossible to do something in this administration that gets you fired. It’s impossible.”

The same could be said of Okaloosa County government.

Take the TDC scandal. What did commissioners do? They circled the wagons and attacked the messenger (the Gaetzes). Commissioners repeatedly blamed the scandal on “just one man,” Mark Bellinger (deceased), and they made certain no county employee was held accountable.

“One man” could not have perpetrated the crimes at the TDC had others been doing their jobs. The auditor general’s report made it clear that county employees were not properly dispensing funds. The governor removed one commissioner from office.

Commissioner inaction reinforced the wrong message — that it’s impossible to get fired. And that isn’t the only problem.

Commissioners dole out raises across the board. That rewards the slackers and demoralizes the productive, driving down performance.

Commissioners disrespect citizens whom they are supposed to serve, often in front of county employees. That sends another wrong message.

Commissioners can make changes, or voters can.

— DAVID SHERRY
Okaloosa Island

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Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles reported that he recently caught an Emerald Coast Convention Center “vehicle and staff in the furtherance of an outside catering event.” It was luck and observation, not good management, that caught another inappropriate use of taxpayer resources.

To find the root cause of problems like these, Mr. Boyles and his fellow commissioners need look no further than the mirror.

At the Obamacare hearing, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, “The only thing I can conclude is it’s impossible to do something in this administration that gets you fired. It’s impossible.”

The same could be said of Okaloosa County government.

Take the TDC scandal. What did commissioners do? They circled the wagons and attacked the messenger (the Gaetzes). Commissioners repeatedly blamed the scandal on “just one man,” Mark Bellinger (deceased), and they made certain no county employee was held accountable.

“One man” could not have perpetrated the crimes at the TDC had others been doing their jobs. The auditor general’s report made it clear that county employees were not properly dispensing funds. The governor removed one commissioner from office.

Commissioner inaction reinforced the wrong message — that it’s impossible to get fired. And that isn’t the only problem.

Commissioners dole out raises across the board. That rewards the slackers and demoralizes the productive, driving down performance.

Commissioners disrespect citizens whom they are supposed to serve, often in front of county employees. That sends another wrong message.